Houdini (1953)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

George Marshall

Writers:

Harold Kellock (book)
Philip Yordan (writer)

Release Date:

2 July 1953 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Plot Keywords:

Newspaper Headline | Seance | Magic | Danger | Escape Artist

Cast

Tony Curtis	...	Harry Houdini
Janet Leigh	...	Bess Houdini
Torin Thatcher	...	Otto (Von Schwager's assistant)
Angela Clarke	...	Mrs. Weiss
Stefan Schnabel	...	German Prosecuting Attorney
Ian Wolfe	...	Malue
Sig Ruman	...	Schultz
Michael Pate	...	Dooley (London examiner)
Connie Gilchrist	...	Mrs. Shultz
Malcolm Lee Beggs	...	British jail warden
Frank Orth	...	Mr. Hunter (safe expert)
Barry Bernard	...	Insp. Marlick
Douglas Spencer	...	Simms (New York observer)

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:12 | Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #16247) | Sweden:15

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The movie contains several factual errors, the most telling of which is the dramatization of his death. In the film he runs into a prop sword handle and ruptures his appendix, then almost drowns in the torture tank trick and dies on the stage in the arms of his wife. In real life he was punched in the stomach by a college boy who had heard that Houdini could withstand any blow without harm. This did, indeed, rupture his appendix. He later collapsed on stage, was taken to the hospital and died there.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: Near the end, when Bess is in the empty theatre, begging Harry not to do the trick, she is clapping. You can hear the loud claps, although she is wearing gloves on both hands. You would never hear the claps, only muted thuds.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Mau Mau Sex Sex (2001)

Soundtrack:

Waltz from 'The Poet and Peasant Overture'

Who cares if it isn't accurate, it sure is fun!!

If it wasn't for the movies and the books on Harry Houdini's life he would fall into a category of un-interesting performers who only could do one thing perform

He lived in a time where his talents were in great demand and despite the fact that this film is not accurate it is lovingly presented by Paramount a **Color Film** in a time where Black and White films were still commonplace, Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh at the peak of their building careers and George Marshall a veteran director of close to 120 films

They knew what they were doing when the movie partially fictionalized Houdini's life possibly because he was a one note person, a magician, an escape artist, a performer

The movie is excellent!! and that is all that matters, if I am not mistaken almost every remake has fictionalized his life in one way or another, this movie is a true gem!!